Thermo-electric materials offer a promising solid-state solution for clean energy applications. Thermo-electric generators (or thermogenerators) employ thermo-electric materials to convert heat energy directly into electrical energy using the thermoelectric effect. Thermo-electric generators are less expensive in construction than conventional solar panels for harvesting an equivalent amount of energy. However, thermo-electric generators have not made a significant impact on large-scale energy generation other than in niche applications due to lack of an efficient, inexpensive thermo-electric modular design.
The above-described background is merely intended to provide an overview of contextual information regarding thermo-electric generators, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Additional context may become apparent upon review of one or more of the various non-limiting embodiments of the following detailed description.